


Christmas Dinner

by FinduilasLissesul



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Christmas Dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, FACE Family, Fluff, M/M, hetaliaholidayspecial2k18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 14:04:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17163326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinduilasLissesul/pseuds/FinduilasLissesul
Summary: Arthur tries to be helpful so that his children are ready when Francis' finish the christmas dinner, but it's not easy with defiant kids who'd rather play than listen.I was the Secret Santa for Katya, for the HetaliaHolidaySpecial2k18 event on tumblr, and this is her gift from me.





	Christmas Dinner

“I can help!”

“No, you can’t!”

“At least let me-”

“Not happening! Get out of the kitchen!”

Arthur crossed his arms in defiance, but did as he was told. He went out into the dining room where he had already set the table for four. There were candles placed around the room that cast light on the decorations. Red and green colours covered the room along with some gold. Francis was about halfway done with the evening’s dinner and Arthur felt absolutely useless as he wasn’t even allowed to help his husband prepare. Just because he’d had a few bad experiences before didn’t mean he was inept at cooking. Well, as there was nothing else to do at the moment he might as well go fetch the boys, who were still outside and playing in the snow. About time they got ready for the evening after all.

Arthur entered the hallway and went over to the front door. Before he opened it, he paused to take a glimpse out the window beside it. The darkness had wrapped around the white garden and it was only due of the lamp posts in the street he could spot the kids playing in the snow. It looked like they were having fun, but now it was almost time for dinner, so they’d better get dressed soon. Arthur waited only a few seconds more, just so he could enjoy watching the two of them struggling to put a head on top of their newest snowman, which was considerably taller than them both. Then, as they stood back admiring their creation, Arthur decided it was the right time to interrupt them.

“Come on, boys! Time’s up!” Sad faces look back up at him as the boys turned towards him and Alfred stomped a foot into the ground as he protested.

“But daaaaaad!” Alfred crossed his arms and put up a pout. “We’re not done yet! We have like three more snowmen to make – we _have_ to stay out a bit longer!”

“Pleeease, dad? Just a few more minutes? We won’t take long, promise.” Matthew folded his hands in front of him as he begged Arthur.

Arthur just shook his head. He knew where this was going. A few more minutes quickly became hours and three more snowmen suddenly meant six. Dinner was almost ready anyway, so they _really_ should be showering and changing clothes.

“Sorry, boys. There’s no more time today. You have to get changed now.” Both of the boys groaned and Alfred kicked away a piece of snow. “You’ll have all the time you want tomorrow, but right now you have to shower and get ready.”

“But we don’t wanna get ready! We wanna build more snowmen _now_!”

“Alfred, don’t be difficult. Stop this nonsense and come inside.” Arthur crossed his arms and looked sternly at them. When neither of them moved, he sighed. “Don’t make me put on some shoes and come get you myself. Dinner’s almost ready, and we don’t want to disappoint your father by not being at the table on time, now would we?”

At this, the boys mumbled a bit before they slowly – and a little reluctant – made their way towards the door. Arthur held it open and closed it when both of them had stepped inside. Their cheeks and noses were tinged red from the cold and the few strands of hair that poked out from their hats were wet. Arthur smiled to himself as the kids struggled out of their thick jackets and heavy shoes. They had both grown so much these last years, he almost couldn’t believe they’d be eleven years old next summer.

“Dad! Do I have to wear that stiff shirt?” Alfred stared up him with a disgruntled look on his face.

“Yes, you do. It Christmas. You have to look proper and nice today for a change.” Arthur raised an eyebrow. “But first you both need a shower.”

“But daaaaad!”

“Alfred, why don’t you calm down and behave more like Matthew here. You don’t see him complaining.”

“That’s just because he doesn’t want to make you mad.”

“Then you both better go shower right now, or I may get mad.” Arthur crossed his arms and looked sternly at them again. Matthew was standing behind his brother, obviously uncomfortable at being dragged into this. “Go on now, and I’ll put away your clothes.”

“Urgh! _Fine_.” Alfred made a point to roll his eyes, but he dragged Matthew with him up the stairs in the hallway and towards the bathroom. Arthur just shook his head at the boys. They – especially Alfred – were really doing a lot to make his life more difficult lately. _But_ , today was Christmas Eve so he was trying to be a bit more patient with them – as much as he could anyway.

The clothes that the boys had discarded on the floor he picked up and hung them in their place on the hangers by the door. The jackets were still a bit wet and the shoes had rims of snow along their edges. Also, there was now a huge puddle in the middle of the hallway from the melted snow they’d dragged in. Arthur sighed heavily and dragged a hand trough his hair before he realized he kind of ruined the hairstyle he’d worked on so long earlier and tried to smooth it back out. He could hear Francis out in the kitchen, humming to himself over the sounds of cutlery and pans, and he noticed the amazing smell making its way down the hallway. Soon. Arthur pulled himself back up and went to the closet where they kept their brooms and mops and fetched out an old rag, which he then used to clean the mess after the boys.

When he was done cleaning, Arthur figured he should probably go fetch clothes for the boys so that they wouldn’t use forever to dress up only for him to make them go change again. He took steps up the stairs and he could hear the sound of the shower running, so at least they had started. A quick stop by the boys’ shared room, he found some nice shirts and trousers he brought with him over to the bathroom. The shower had stopped running and Arthur knocked on the door so they’d let him in. The door was opened and Matthew was standing on the other side of it with a towel draped over his shoulders and water dripping from his hair. Alfred was over by the large mirror above the sink, busy drying himself.

“Hello boys, I have your clothes with me here. Dry up and I’ll help you get dressed.”

“ _Dad_. I don’t need help.” Alfred turned around to look at him. “I’m ten; I can dress myself.”

“If you say so.” Arthur raised an eyebrow and smiled a bit as he remembered only last week when Alfred had needed his help with a pair of pants. He leant back against the closed door and watched as his boys dried themselves off and got into their clothes. Matthew came over to him for help with the buttons on the cuffs of his purple shirt, and he happily bent down to assist. Alfred on the other hand insisted on doing everything by himself, so Arthur had to actually hold him still so he could tuck the shirt down into the trousers when Alfred failed to do so. Both of the boys were almost out the door before he could grab them again and place them in front of the mirror. Their hair looked like a mess he reminded them. Arthur grabbed Francis’ hairdryer and carefully dried their blonde locks before he fetched a comb and fixed their hairstyles. Matthew’s long locks were so similar to those of Francis’. Eventually, the boys grew impatient, and while Arthur was still struggling with that one piece of hair that refused to lay down on Alfred, they tore away from him and ran down the stairs. Well, that was probably as good as it was going to get anyway.

Arthur walked down the stairs and could hear the boys getting shooed out of the kitchen by Francis as he stepped into the hallway. Matthew and Alfred scurried over to the living room instead and Arthur vaguely saw them turning on the television and their Nintendo Switch as he stopped in the door opening to the kitchen. It was almost impossible to control those two. He leaned back out to shout at them.

“Leave that be until after dinner please!” He knew they would barely be able to start a game before the meal was ready and then they would be in the same situation as before all over again. Dissatisfied groans sounded loudly from the other room, but Arthur’s attention was grabbed by the laughing man in front of him.

“Don’t worry, I’m just about done now. Help me set the table?” Francis walked by him into the dining room with plates in both his hands. Arthur hummed as an agreement and followed the other’s example. He grabbed the plate with the main course, a turkey stuffed with chestnuts, and brought it in to the table. Working together, Francis and he was able to get all the dishes out quite quickly and the boys filed in to take their seats. As it was Francis that usually cooked dinner it resulted mostly in the French dishes he was brought up with, such as foie gras, escargots, and oysters. Of course, the kids normally wouldn’t eat all that and instead stuck to the turkey, although they might try out some of the other things occasionally. Arthur preferred the turkey as well, but as not to let Francis eat all of his work alone, he’d go for some oysters as well, but after all these years he was still a bit too sceptical for the snails.

Arthur smiled to himself as Francis engaged the boys in a conversation and he asked them what they’d been building out in the snow. He listened intently as the kids eagerly told them how they would continue tomorrow and of all their plans for the rest of the holiday. If it came more snow, they’d build a snow cave and maybe even a whole white snow bear. Arthur almost felt bad for them as he knew that the weather forecast for the next few days had been only rain and mild temperatures.

When the meal was consumed, the boys were impatient to start up their game again as Arthur and Francis cleared the table together. After they finished putting everything in the dishwasher and on the counter, they joined their children in the living room. The Switch Game Console they had gotten them as a present last Christmas had been diligently used the past year, and fortunately for their parents, they hadn’t tired of it yet. Arthur had always believed there was no reason to buy the newest gadget every year when the old one worked just as well. Unfortunately, the boys were of a different opinion. And as Francis was terrible at electronics, it usually came down to him to figure out what was currently “in” with the kids. One moment it was fidget spinners and the next it was slime. What even was going on these days? He wasn’t absolutely sure, but what he was fairly certain of was that they’d both enjoy the _Pokémon: Let’s Go: Pikachu!_ Francis and he had gotten them this year. At the moment Matthew and Alfred were playing something with the Mario-characters on their television.

Francis went over to the cabinet in the corner and fetched a bottle of wine and two glasses while the sounds from the game filled the room. Arthur happily accepted the glasses and held them as Francis poured the red liquid. They each took their own and sat down together on the couch. The whole rom was had a cosy atmosphere and was dimly lit by candles and lamps, the fireplace burning and spreading warmth. The sounds from the engaged boys and their game captured their attention.

“Arthur.”

“Hmm?” Arthur ripped his attention away from the kids and turned to Francis. He was sipping the wine and still watching the game.

“Do you think our boys would perhaps want to open _one_ gift tonight?”

Arthur chuckled and decided played along with what he figured was the other’s scheme.

“Well, I don’t know. They seem extremely busy at the moment, so I think it would maybe be best to wait until tomorrow. They might not be that curious either; you know they already celebrated ten Christmases from before. It probably just isn’t too exciting anymore.”

“Ah, you are right. They are too old for this now.”

The boys, who had just moments earlier been preoccupied by the game, flung their consoles down on the floor and jumped up towards their parents. Their eyes wide and frantic. Arthur and Francis shared a smile as they were overtaken.

“No! We’re not too old!” Alfred waved his hands up and down. “We’re just the right age!”

“Yes! Please, papa! Can’t we open just one gift?”

“Yeah, we won’t even shake the other gifts before we open them tomorrow!”

Francis rubbed his chin and glanced over at Arthur with a thoughtful look on his face.

“Hmm… I don’t know…. what do you think, _cher_?”

“Well,” Arthur huffed. “If they say they are still young at heart, I guess we can allow one present.”

The boys cheered and looked at each other in joy before they flung themselves towards the tree in a hunt for the most exiting gift. They’d never be too old for this. Arthur just shook his head and looked over at Francis with a smile. He was met with a sly grin as the latter pulled out something from his pocket and held up between them. Arthur had to role his eyes over how cheesy his husband was, but still gave him a kiss over the mistletoe.  

**Author's Note:**

> It is what it is, but I still hope you like it, Katya, as well everyone else ^^'


End file.
